Local News

This season's 'Dancing with the Stars' cast includes an Olympic gold medalist, multiple actors and two stars of the reality show 'The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.' WASHINGTON — The cast of celebrities who will be competing for the mirror ball trophy on season 34 of "Dancing with the Stars" has been revealed.  They include Olympic gold medalist Jordan Chiles, actors Corey Feldman and Danielle Fishel, social media star Alix Earle, Fifth Harmony singer Lauren Jauregui and wildlife conservationist Robert Irwin. Also in the cast are "Parent Trap" star Elaine Hendrix, Pentatonix star Scott Hoying, comedian Andy Richter, NBA All-Star Baron Davis, author Hilaria Baldwin, Dylan Efron, and Whitney Leavitt and Jen Affleck, two stars of the reality TV series "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives." The upcoming 34th season premieres on Tuesday, Sept. 16 at 8 p.m. ET and PT on ABC and Disney+, while also streaming the next day on Hulu on Disney+ and Hulu.  Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough are returning as co-hosts for the show's milestone 20th anniversary. The judges panel is comprised of Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli and Derek Hough. Last season, "The Bachelor" star Joey Graziadei and his dance partner Jenna Johnson won the competition and the Len Goodman Mirrorball trophy, named in memory of longtime judge Len Goodman.  Full list of celebrities competing on “Dancing With the Stars” Season 34 Olympic gold medalist Jordan ChilesActor Corey Feldman"Boy Meets World" star Danielle FishelSocial media star Alix EarleFifth Harmony singer Lauren JaureguiWildlife conservationist Robert Irwin"Parent Trap" star Elaine HendrixPentatonix star Scott HoyingComedian Andy RichterNBA All-Star Baron DavisAuthor Hilaria BaldwinReality TV star Dylan Efron"The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" stars Whitney Leavitt and Jen Affleck [embedded content]

New surveillance video shows a shootout between a group of juveniles and a young man following an altercation on a bus in Mill Creek. MILL CREEK, Wash. — New surveillance video is providing a closer look at a shootout that happened aboard a public bus in Snohomish County.  The shooting happened on Aug. 16 near the Mill Creek Safeway at around 5 p.m. Witnesses reported that a fight broke out between a man and a group of juveniles, escalating to a shooting.  The video shows a man and woman getting onto the Swift Orange Line bus on 164th Street Southeast. A group of juveniles already inside then attacks the man.  The man escaped and ran off the bus. The woman yelled at the attackers and asked the bus driver to let her off as well.  That's when the man outside the bus appears to pull out a gun and fire shots through the bus windows. Two of the juveniles inside pull out guns and fire back, the video shows.  No one was injured in the shooting, police said.  Everyone involved in the shootout fled the scene before law enforcement arrived, but two of the juveniles were apprehended after a K9 track. Police identified another juvenile who they believed to be involved in the altercation, and are investigating if there are other suspects.  KING 5 has asked if any other arrests were made in this case. 

On October 3 at 8 p.m., Bruce Harrell and Katie Wilson will answer questions about the top citywide issues. SEATTLE — KING 5, along with media partner The Seattle Times, today announced coverage plans to live broadcast a Seattle mayoral debate. The debate between Mayor Bruce Harrell and mayoral candidate Katie Wilson will broadcast live from KING 5 Studios on Friday, October 3 at 8 p.m.  KING 5 News anchor Mimi Jung and Seattle Times City Hall reporter David Kroman will co-moderate the debate, asking questions about the top citywide issues for one hour.The debate will broadcast live on KONG-TV, as well as stream on digital platforms including KING 5+ and king5.com. The debate will also be streamed at seattletimes.com. "Seattle voters have a big decision to make and before they do, they deserve a chance to hear the candidates answer direct questions from reporters. We are proud to collaborate with our partners to put on a substantive debate that will delve into the major challenges and opportunities facing our city," said KING 5 president and general manager Christy Moreno. The debate will feature opening statements, structured questions with 90-second responses from each candidate, followed by 45-second rebuttals. The discourse is aimed at providing context and clarity with public service in mind. Both candidates will have closing statements to conclude the hour-long debate. "This election comes at a consequential time for the city. We face a crisis of affordability, questions about public safety in certain neighborhoods, and other persistent problems," said Michele Matassa Flores, executive editor of The Seattle Times. "Our journalists will press the candidates for clear, detailed answers on the most important topics."

The renovation added something unique for the Oakland campus. It is the new home for Tacoma's online learning program. TACOMA, Wash. — When students walk through the doors of Oakland Secondary School this week, they're in for a surprise. The 112-year-old building may look the same from the outside, but step inside and you'll find yourself in what feels like a completely different school. The historic Tacoma facility has just wrapped up a major renovation that keeps part of the classic 1912 charm, with big windows and brick walls, while packing in some modern learning spaces. The renovation added something unique for the Oakland campus. It is the new home for Tacoma's online learning program. The 800 students in TOL and hundreds of others in the part-time online Tacoma Flex program now have a place to meet their teachers face-to-face and dive into hands-on lab work that you just can't get through a computer screen. "Really, the foundation for all of this is personalization and meeting students and families where they are," Oakland principal Shaun Martin said. "It includes this combination of virtual skills and in-person skills, so we kind of bring all that together." Special education teacher Krystall Fowler was busy setting up her classroom when KING 5 visited. "Walking inside, you're kind of transitioned into this brand-new world of a school," she said. "Looking at the outside compared to inside, you would never guess it would look like this. We're just looking to build our community, and I think this building alone is going to help do that." Tacoma voters are to thank for the transformation. Back in 2020, they approved a bond measure that has funded the rebuild and remodel of eight schools in the district. Oakland is the latest to receive a renovation. Two more elementary schools, Lowell and Whittier, are set to get their own reopenings over the next couple of years.

The hearing is scheduled for 10 a.m. Wednesday. The Seattle Police Department has been under a federal consent decree since 2012. SEATTLE — On Wednesday, a federal judge will decide whether the Seattle Police Department should continue to be under federal oversight. The hearing is scheduled for 10 a.m. and is open to the public. The department has been under a federal consent decree since 2012.  In August of 2010, then-Seattle police officer Ian Birk shot and killed a First Nations woodcarver, John T. Williams, giving him four seconds to drop a carving knife that wasn't open. A Department of Justice investigation revealed the shooting was 'unjustified,' and established federal oversight in the hopes of reforming use-of-force protocols, crisis intervention, supervision, and accountability for Seattle police. In 2018, the federal court ruled the city had "achieved full and effective compliance with the consent decree," and allowed the city to enter a sustainment period.  Then in 2020, as the department responded to protests following the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, "SPD at times did not comply with its policies mandated by the Consent Decree relating to de-escalation, use of force decision making, officer force reporting and supervisory review of force." The federal court lifted several provisions in 2023, and SPD achieved partial termination of the consent decree. However, crowd-control and accountability systems remained under oversight.  Then, in July of 2025, the city of Seattle filed a motion to terminate the consent decree completely, with the Department of Justice filing a response in support of termination of the consent decree. The Seattle Community Police Commission also filed an amicus brief supporting the termination, mainly citing its desire to return SPD oversight to local organizations as well as to the community.  This story is developing and will be updated with the outcome of the hearing.

Unionized security officers working in the Seattle area have authorized a strike over wage disputes. SEATTLE — Nearly 5,000 security officers across King County — stationed at the airport, on public transit, and in local tech companies — are preparing for a possible strike, according to their union. Leaders of SEIU6, the union representing the workers, warn that a strike could have serious consequences for public safety, particularly on Seattle-area transit systems.  “It’s workers that kind of go unnoticed, right? And unseen... until you need them,” said Greg Ramirez, deputy director of SEIU6. Ramirez said officers’ responsibilities go beyond monitoring, often putting them in the position of de-escalating dangerous situations. He pointed to a deadly incident last December, when Metro bus driver Shawn Yim was fatally stabbed while on duty. “If one of our folks would have been there...” Ramirez said, adding, “Our members, a lot of times act like first responders.” At the center of the labor dispute is pay. On Friday, union members unanimously voted to reject the latest employer proposal, which included a 30-cent raise in the first year.  “That’s not even a 1.5% increase,” Ramirez said. The median salary for a security officer in King County is less than $55,000, according to a bargaining survey by SEIU6. Union officials note that local living costs far exceed that.  “You need to make $92,000 in King County to have a one-bedroom apartment,” Ramirez said, referring to the National Low Income Housing Coalition's 2024 Out of Reach report. At SEIU6 headquarters, members wrote messages on a whiteboard explaining their “no” vote. One read, “I put my life on the line every day and my pay should reflect that.” Another said, “I vote no to support my sisters and brothers.” PalAmerican, one of seven employers in contract talks with the union, provides security services for King County Metro and Sound Transit. Ramirez said public transit riders should be concerned about the potential fallout if an agreement isn’t reached. PalAmerican has not yet not responded to KING 5's request for comment. On its website, CEO Ashley Cooper states that the company’s “employees are at the heart of [their] success.” Ramirez said the union and employers are scheduled to return to the bargaining table Sept. 18. “We’re looking to get back to the table at least by then, if not sooner,” he said. “But again, if those talks are not fruitful... then the next step is having a strike at the end of this month.” The implications, Ramirez warned, would be immediate. “It’s really about what it would mean to not have security throughout King County,” he said. “If those folks aren’t on the job, it’s going to have a real impact.”

In May, nine Washington health organizations sued the HHS after it deleted dozens of federal health websites covering vaccines, reproductive rights, and more. SEATTLE — The Washington State Medical Association announced on Tuesday that a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) was settled, and several webpages and resources that were deleted by the federal government will be restored.  In May, a group of nine medical organizations and public health nonprofits based in Washington sued HHS to stop the wrongful deletion of vital public health and science data.  “I am extremely proud of the health care community in Washington state and our partners in this case for pushing back on this egregious example of government overreach,” said John Bramhall, the president of the WSMA, the lead plaintiff in the case representing more than 13,000 physicians in Washington state. “This was not a partisan issue—open data benefits everyone, and ensuring its availability should be a bipartisan priority.” WSMA says since January, dozens of federal health websites — covering vaccines, reproductive rights, HIV, and minority and LGBTQ health issues — have been purged.  Health advocates say those resources are crucial tools that doctors, nurses and researchers rely on to improve public health. “Trust is at the core of pediatrics—parents trust us to put their children first, and we rely on accurate data to guide their care,” said James Polo, president of the Washington Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, a co-plaintiff in the suit. “When critical health information disappeared overnight, that trust was undermined and children’s health was put at risk. By joining this effort, we were sending a clear message: politics must never interfere with the care of Washington’s kids. Families can count on us to advocate for access to reliable, evidence-based information so every child has the best chance to grow up healthy and strong.” The lawsuit against HHS called the Trump administration's decision to delete information and resources “arbitrary, capricious and unreasoned."  The terms of the settlement require the HHS to restore websites and data sources identified in the complaint that were unlawfully taken down earlier this year and have not already been restored. “This was trusted health information that vanished in a blink of an eye—resources that, among other things, physicians rely on to manage patients’ health conditions and overall care,” said Bramhall. “Not only was our ability to provide care to our patients compromised, but our trust in our federal health institutions has also been badly shaken. As the leading voice for physicians in Washington state, the WSMA engaged in this legal effort to resist interference into the physician-patient relationship and to show patients and communities that regardless of the whims of governments or politics, physicians are committed to providing accurate, evidence-based care to patients and we will fight any intrusion into our ability to do so.” The affected websites and resources that WSMA identified can be viewed here. 

Bankruptcy records show at least ten "forever" prize winners may never collect millions they were promised. PORTLAND, Ore. — For decades, Publishers Clearing House made dreams come true. In August 2012, its Prize Patrol surprised a Southern Oregon man with balloons, flowers and an oversized check.    “You won $5,000 a week, forever!” a member of the Prize Patrol said with TV cameras rolling. John Wyllie of White City, Oregon thought he was set for life. The jackpot allowed him to retire. Wyllie moved closer to his kids and bought a house on six wooded acres near Bellingham, Washington. Every January for the past 12 years, Publishers Clearing House deposited a prize payment of $260,000 into Wyllie’s bank account. But this year, the money never came. In April 2025, Publishers Clearing House filed for bankruptcy. “Why didn’t somebody give me a heads up? 'Hey, we’re going out of business,'” Wyllie asked. “It’s not a good way to treat anyone.” A KGW investigation found that at least ten past Publishers Clearing House prize winners haven’t been paid, and a bankruptcy expert says they probably won’t get their millions after the company went bust.   “This feels like a nightmare,” Wyllie said. “I thought this was going to go on for the rest of my life, so I didn’t really have to worry about money.” Now, he worries a lot. The annual prize payment was his only source of income. The bills are piling up. The 61-year-old has had trouble finding a decent paying job after being out of the workforce for so long. “I sold my jet ski. Sold my trailer. I had a little bit of money left over and that’s what I’m living on right now,” Wyllie explained. “Pretty sure I’m going to lose my home.” Some forever prize winners say they’re also dealing with the emotional toll of hitting the jackpot, then having it taken away. “You change people’s lives, and now, you messed it up,” said Tamar Veatch. In February 2021, Publishers Clearing House showed up on Veatch’s doorstep in Cottage Grove, Ore., with balloons, a big check and a promise: $5,000 a week for the rest of her life. Earlier this year, when the annual payment didn’t arrive, as it had for the past four years, Veatch and her husband Matthew contacted Publishers Clearing House. A representative told them the payments would resume on a quarterly schedule. Then, the company filed for bankruptcy. “It’s unfortunate there was no warning,” said Matthew Veatch. “The big letdown for me is that we trusted them.” The Oregon couple, both disabled Army veterans, had to suddenly reshuffle the family budget. They have three kids and a mortgage to cover. “It’s real tight,” explained Matthew. The couple relies on their disability payments from Veterans Affairs to pay the bills, and they get some help from a roommate. But they’ve canceled all travel plans and can no longer afford to help friends with unexpected emergencies, like a broken-down car or sick pet.  “We were fine before, but it opened a lot of doors for us, like fun stuff to do with the kids; we were able to travel,” said Veatch. “Now, we’re back to where we were.” Bankruptcy records show Publishers Clearing House has at least 10 unpaid prize winners. Most are owed more than $2 million. University of Oregon law professor Andrea Coles-Bjerre said in bankruptcy proceedings these prize winners join the list of unsecured creditors. “There’s just not enough money to go around to pay everyone,” said Coles-Bjerre. The law professor thinks it is unlikely that the past winners will get their prize money. “Here, we have a really, really bad situation,” explained Coles-Bjerre. “You can’t get blood from a stone.” Some winners did get paid before bankruptcy. Publishers Clearing House offered forever prize winners the option of annual payments or a lump sum. “It worked out pretty good,” said Ricky Williams. In August 2019, the Prize Patrol surprised the Prestonburg, Kentucky, man with the Clearing House jackpot of $5,000 a week for life. Instead of annual payments, Williams chose the lump sum, collecting more than $3 million. “If I’d been 20 years younger, I would have taken the payments,” said the 71-year-old. In July, ARB Interactive bought Publishers Clearing House out of bankruptcy. A spokesperson said it will keep running contests under the Publishers Clearing House name. “We understand the concerns surrounding unpaid prizes owed to past winners and are taking decisive steps to ensure that every future prize winner can participate with absolute confidence,” the spokesperson wrote in an email. ARB added it will only pay out prizes awarded after it took over. “We recognize the impact this has had on past winners and the disappointment caused by the bankruptcy process,” the spokesperson wrote. So how did this happen to an American institution like Publishers Clearing House, the direct-mail marketer of magazine subscriptions and merchandise known for its Prize Patrol? “You can’t be a sweepstakes company and not pay your winners,” said Darrell Lester, a retired company executive and author of “Downfall of an Icon: The True Inside Story of Publishers Clearing House.” Lester said the company used to protect winners by setting aside the money up front in secure bank or insurance accounts. “I know for a fact in my day; there was a 30-year annuity that was prepaid in the winner’s name,” Lester explained. “Something changed.” Publishers Clearing House did not respond to KGW’s request for comment. In April, the Federal Trade Commission announced a settlement requiring Publishers Clearing House to pay $18.5 million to nearly 282,000 consumers over misleading claims. Regulators said the company deceived people into believing they could not enter into the sweepstakes without purchasing a product or that their chances of winning would be increased by purchasing products. Forever prize winners were supposed to be paid weekly for the rest of their life. Then, after they die, the weekly payments were to continue for a recipient of their choosing. For John Wyllie, that gift was supposed to go to his son. “That was something I wanted to leave for him,” said Wyllie. Looking back, the 61-year-old is grateful for the experience. He collected six-digit prize payments for more than a decade. Wyllie just wishes he had time to prepare for the lost income and the broken promise.   “I was proud of the fact I left my children something,” Wyllie said. “Now, I can’t leave them anything, and it really disappoints me.”

A three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with immigrant rights groups that Trump improperly invoked the Alien Enemies Act of 1798. WASHINGTON — A federal appeals court panel ruled Tuesday that President Donald Trump cannot use an 18th century wartime law to speed the deportations of people his administration accuses of membership in a Venezuelan gang, blocking a signature administration push that is destined for a final showdown at the U.S. Supreme Court. A three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, one of the most conservative federal appeals courts in the country, agreed in a 2-1 decision with immigrant rights lawyers and lower court judges who argued the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 was not intended to be used against gangs like Tren de Aragua, the Venezuelan group Trump targeted in his March invocation. Lee Gelernt, who argued the case for the ACLU, said Tuesday: “The Trump administration’s use of a wartime statute during peacetime to regulate immigration was rightly shut down by the court. This is a critically important decision reining in the administration’s view that it can simply declare an emergency without any oversight by the courts.” The administration deported people designated as Tren de Aragua members to a notorious prison in El Salvador where, it argued, U.S. courts could not order them freed. In a deal announced in July, more than 250 of the deported migrants returned to Venezuela. The Alien Enemies Act has only been used three times before in U.S. history, all during declared wars — in the War of 1812 and the two World Wars. The Trump administration unsuccessfully argued that courts cannot second-guess the president’s determination that Tren de Aragua was connected to Venezuela’s government and represented a danger to the United States, meriting use of the act. The ruling can be appealed to the full 5th Circuit or directly to the U.S. Supreme Court, which is likely to make the ultimate decision on the issue. Copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.     

Pierce County Sheriff Keith Swank posted Monday asking if it is time to "ban trans people from owning guns." TACOMA, Wash. — Pierce County Sheriff Keith Swank took to social media Monday, posting on X and asking his followers: “Do you think it’s time to ban trans people from owning guns?” The post garnered significant reaction online. Swank later said the post was intended to provoke discussion. “Speech is offensive—that’s what it’s about. That’s why we have freedom of speech,” Swank said in an interview with KING 5. “I wanted to see what the people on the left would say,” he added. “People who say we should ban firearms—what are they going to say if I ask them a question about that?” Swank told KING 5 that he believes transgender people have mental health problems. However, he said he does not believe all transgender individuals should be banned from owning guns. “I didn’t put it out to be a threat to anybody’s right to own a gun,” he said. “The fact of the matter is, there are people out there who say that we should ban all guns. So I’m putting it out there—if we do, who should we ban them from?” According to a 2023 report from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, transgender individuals accounted for less than 2% of mass attacks between 2016 and 2020. More than 95% were carried out by cisgender men. “Is it time for all cisgender white men to have their rights taken away? Because they are notoriously the ones committing the mass shootings and crimes,” said Joanne Levy, director of operations for Rainbow Center in Tacoma. Rainbow Center is a nonprofit that serves and advocates for LGBTQ+ individuals in Tacoma and Pierce County. Levy said it is important for people in leadership positions to speak responsibly and avoid causing harm to the communities they serve, including transgender people. “We believe very strongly that trans rights are human rights,” Levy said. “We deserve complete equity and equality across the board and should not be demonized or othered because of one human being who commits a crime.” Swank said he supports free speech—even when directed at him. “I worked in Seattle for 33 years. I worked hundreds and hundreds of protests,” he said. “I probably didn’t agree with very many of those people at all, but I always made sure they had the right to voice their opinion.”